Previously on House of David...
To my beautiful daughter
and my new son, the Giant Slayer.
- Will you do something for me? - Anything.
- Protect him. - I already am.
This sword, it spars like I've never seen before.
You take it to Nob, you hide it with the other sacred objects.
Whispers say that Samuel visited our lands.
If you knew more of it, you would tell me.
- I would. - This is because of David.
This is not his fault or yours.
You will be the one to redeem our family.
- You show me mercy now? - It's time for you to decide your path.
- You murdered Dinah. - No one can know what you saw today.
The traitor you seek has been here in your house.
The anointed one... is David.
No more deception. Did Samuel choose you?
No. God chose me.
My king, I wish you no harm.
Please. Don't make me fight you.
Careful, boy. I am king for a reason.
I said... I don't want to fight you.
Eshbaal, get him!
Do not let him escape!
Guards!
Find the son of Jesse!
David?
David!
Stop!
Follow me! Guards, after him!
Abner, gather my men!
- Let's see if your men can take him. - Eliab.
- What is this? - Restrain him.
No. What are you doing? Don't touch me. No!
Take him away.
What are you doing?
No, no, no!
David, his brother, has betrayed the king.
I saw it with my own eyes.
Now, I know many of you have served him. Have fought for him.
But any who remain loyal to David is a traitor to the House of Saul.
I want 20 men at each gate of this city.
Sweep every house, every field,
every dung heap!
- And find him. - He's gone toward the eastern gate.
Injured. So move quickly.
Go!
David? What... What's happened?
Go pack your things.
- We must leave. - What's going on? David.
- Listen, we must go. Now. - You're hurt, you're...
David, look at...
What happened? Who did this to you?
Your father.
What? Is he... He's sick again. I-I will go to him.
No, no. You don't understand. No, he is trying to kill me.
- What? - We must go. Now.
Pack your things quickly.
- No, David, wait. David, stop. - Mychal, please. Mychal.
Please, just... just tell me the truth.
Shortly after I met you,
Samuel came to Bethlehem.
To my father's house.
He anointed me.
As what?
As king.
Listen.
- We don't have much time. We must go. - King?
You... You knew this...
- You knew this the whole time. - Mychal. Mychal, please.
When you were playing for my father, when you swore loyalty to him.
And I am loyal to him. I'm loyal to you.
- When you comforted me as I was grieving... - No.
...you knew.
I-I cried to you.
Mychal, I was trying to protect you. That's why I didn't tell you.
So you would have held this forever, from me? From...
From our children, David? You would've never told me?
Mychal, he slaughtered an innocent family, my neighbors,
because he believed they were the anointed.
I hoped you would never have to know,
but please... I will tell you everything once we are safe.
- Please trust me. - How can I trust you?
You have been lying to me from the moment that we met.
- I... I haven't lied to you. - You are the reason for his torment.
It was you.
- You were the threat to the throne. - No.
You were the reason he banished my mother.
- No, I am not a liar. - It was you.
I am not a threat. God chose me.
God chose my father.
He did.
My love, please.
If you stay, he will use you against me.
You know what he's capable of.
David, come. Come quickly.
You have to go. Come. Quick, quick.
Go. You have to go. I will come and find you.
- Please, please. - Go! Go!
- Mychal, please. - Go.
Please.
A moment.
Go.
Joab?
Is he here?
Yes. [pants] Joab, I'm afraid.
It will be fine, but he must leave. You have little time. Minutes perhaps.
It's all I can buy you.
David.
Mychal. Come.
Come.
Find David!
You two, check the western gates now.
Yes, Joab.
- Anything? - No, Commander.
- What of his home? - He's not there.
- You searched it yourself? - I did.
Mychal!
Uh... One moment. I'm not yet dressed.
- Open this door, Mychal! - Just a moment!
Abner!
- Is he here? - He...
- Speak the truth. - He is...
- He's sleeping. He's not well. - Step aside. Step aside.
Abner, he's... he's not well. I told you.
Stop. What are you--
Have you lost your mind?
He tried to kill your father. And Eshbaal.
You... You saw this? You saw this with your own eyes?
Abner.
Where did he go?
I don't know.
- And what did he tell you? - He said nothing to me.
- He must've said something. - No. He said nothing.
Mychal, don't lie to me.
Do you want to die along with him? What did he tell you?
He told me he was anointed king.
Dav... That's not possible.
What is he planning? Where did he go?
- Let go of me. Please. - Remove your hands from her.
Think carefully, Joab. There will be no coming back from this.
There will be nothing to come back to once David is our king.
- Traitor! - Leave the room, Princess.
It is over, Lord Commander.
Joab, please.
Don't. Don't. No.
Joab, your father will want to see you.
If I were you, I would have better answers.
Princess, leave.
Guards!
Joab. What is happening?
- Saul knows the truth. - About what?
About David.
I do not understand.
How long have you known?
Long enough.
Joab, I tried--
We have no time.
Abner is sending soldiers to your home.
- Go. - And what about you?
I must gather some men.
- Go! - Yes.
Cousin. Why are you doing this?
This is what God wants, isn't it?
Father!
Abinadab!
Eliab.
- What has happened? - We must go. Now.
- Go? Where? - David has been discovered.
- The king's guard is not far behind. Come. - Father, must I go?
Eliab. I will not abandon our home.
Well, stay or go, this place will burn.
You remain here, and you will burn along with it.
David is a prince of Israel now. The king would not dare kill us.
Yes, he would! And he will.
And believe me, Father, we must flee.
Where is David? Is he safe?
I do not know. I cannot save him.
But I can save our family. Now come.
You pack your things and you say goodbye to this house.
Leave nothing behind.
- Come. Abinadab. Help me. - Come.
I'm happy to dine with your family, my love.
I just wish we had a few more days away.
- Mmm. - Why the urgency?
It's tradition, every new moon.
Although, there is not much of a family left to dine with.
What is this?
Get down.
Stop the carriage.
David.
Are you alone?
Yes.
What are you doing here?
Your father, he knows.
He tried to kill me.
- What? - All of the palace is hunting me,
but no matter what they say to you, they are lying.
I am loyal to the king.
I have never sinned against him, I swear to you.
If I am guilty of wrongdoing, kill me yourself.
I don't understand.
No, if this were true, my father would've told me.
- I would've warned you. - He knows that. Of our friendship.
Jonathan, you are the only person I can trust. Please.
I need your help.
I love you as a brother, and as my own soul.
Stay here.
I will find answers.
Wait.
Give this to Mychal.
- Stay hidden until it's safe. - How will I know?
There's a field below the eastern wall.
I'll practice with my bow there tomorrow.
If I fire an arrow beyond my arm bearer, let this be a sign that I was...
not successful.
You may go in safety.
Forgive me, brother. I did not choose this path.
There's nothing to forgive.
My father chose this path.
Are those tears for your husband who betrayed me?
I've just now learned of Dinah's death.
I've come to beg you...
no more bloodshed.
Please, Fath--
You do not need to speak.
Your sister told me everything.
Why you did this. The reason for your betrayal.
She told me this treason you committed...
...was forced upon you.
That David threatened to kill you.
Is that true?
Mmm.
I am so sorry.
I put you in this danger.
I should never have let you marry him.
You are safe now.
Safe in my arms.
Mirab?
Jonathan will be arriving soon.
This will be difficult news for him.
I need your loyalty now more than ever.
Seems you were right, brother.
God chose David.
And this is what is left for the rest of us.
Eliab.
I warned him, Father.
Time and again, but he never listens and he never has.
There is a purpose in this.
I am so weary of hearing of David's purpose.
Every time he stumbles, "Oh, it is God's will."
Every mess he makes, we are the ones who clean it up. And for what?
I was talking about your purpose, Eliab.
Why did you take her as a wife?
- What? - Why?
Why were you not content with the sons my mother bore you?
Eliab. Come. Come! [sighs] Listen to me.
This burden that you carry to redeem our family,
I put that onto you.
It was not fair, but Son, your work is complete.
You need no longer carry it.
But I have carried it.
And I do carry it!
And I have done things, Father.
Things that I cannot forget! Things that I cannot atone for!
There is no sin God cannot redeem.
- You do not know. - I know this.
You must make a decision.
Let go of this bitterness, Eliab,
or it will consume you.
- Let go. Let go! - I cannot.
I cannot forgive him.
- Listen to me. - Please, Father.
It is not your brother that you need to forgive.
Stop concerning yourself with David's path.
Whatever God requires of you, he will reveal it.
- No. - You need to quiet yourself.
You need to be still.
You must stop fighting.
Stop.
- You keep them safe. - What?
- Hey, Eliab. Where are you going? Eliab! - Does it matter?
He asked me to give this to you.
What does it say?
To be strong and courageous.
Jonathan, is it true?
Did Samuel name him?
Have a seat.
Sit.
So many people missing from this table.
What of the rumors I hear?
Of my father, the great king,
ordering the execution of a prince of Israel.
Surely you would never do that. Not without consulting me.
- Who told you this? - David.
He found me.
Asked if he could return to his father's home to worship.
- And did you allow it? - I did.
- You let him escape? - Escape what, Father?
Jonathan, uh...
This is going to be difficult to hear.
David tried to assassinate your father, the king.
No. No, actually we tried to murder him.
The forge in Philistia, I was there.
He did try to kill Father. I saw it.
Mmm.
Father... do you remember when all hope was lost?
One man stood to defend you. Defend all of Israel.
You remember when the giant fell?
That was long ago.
Then remember how David loves you.
How he loves Mychal. And me.
He would never do anything to hurt us.
On my life, I swear to you.
He is a threat.
David is not the threat, Father!
You son of a perverse woman.
You think I do not know you choose your friendship with David
over loyalty to this house?
David is loyal to this house.
As long as David lives, your throne will never be established.
A throne only has power if a just king sits on it.
And there is no justice in murdering David.
You challenge my decision?
Yes.
How dare you?
David is innocent.
You betray me. You betray the House of Saul!
And you betray the God who anointed you!
Father!
I'm sorry.
Jonathan. Wait.
I am ashamed to be your son.
That was terrible.
Uh, you distracted me.
- I'll go fetch it. - No, no.
No, it's too far. I'll fetch it myself, I need the walk.
Here. Take these back to the armory.
Thank you, Reuben.
It isn't safe.
I've ordered the guards east of here to be removed,
clear you a path to Raham.
Samuel.
Thought that's where you might go.
Yes.
I'm sorry. I tried.
My father will not relent.
I'm afraid this will be the last time we will see each other.
I, uh... I did bring you a gift.
For the poet.
Jonathan, I will always love you
and serve you.
- I must ask something of you. - Ask anything.
I've told this to no one, but...
...Sara is with child.
You're going to be a father.
And you want to name him David?
- I will allow that. - No.
No.
But I do ask for kindness...
and mercy...
when you come into your kingdom.
My father said I was a fool.
That as long as you lived, my throne would never be established.
- I-- - And in his madness, and in his jealousy...
...he speaks the truth.
And it is a truth that will apply to you.
- Jonathan... I-I would never-- - David.
Kings consolidate their rule.
They do things they said they would never do.
I've seen this with my own eyes.
So vow to me.
Promise me you will never harm my family.
That you will protect them when I...
If I cannot.
I vow. I vow.
I will show your family kindness. Forever.
Vow again.
That you will never cut off your loyalty to my house,
even when all of your enemies lay at your feet.
You will never be one of them.
This is a covenant between us.
Then may the House of David endure forever.
May your reign never end.
Jonathan.
I did not ask for this.
Jonathan, I never... I never wanted any of this.
- You would be the better king. - No. No.
God does not make mistakes like that.
Drink this, so you don't catch fever. You're shaking.
- I-I left in haste with... nothing. - Mm-hmm.
- And Mychal? - I am alone.
Hmm. Alone? No, shepherd.
Even when you are by yourself, you are not alone.
Thank you.
Samuel, I love you, but must you always speak in riddles?
Do I? Oh, well.
I have always liked riddles.
Perhaps... ...you should write one of your songs
about my riddles. Hmm?
"Samuel's Song."
Samuel, I don't know what to do.
I don't know where to go.
In battle, I have a plan, a strategy.
I need one now.
You need to find stillness.
Mmm. You must quiet yourself in here.
- And here. - I try.
When you tell me, "Listen to the wind,"
I do. I listen.
- But all I hear is the wind. - Yeah, but you must have patience.
Give it time.
The Lord God will speak to you,
as he has spoken to me so often.
- What is it like? - Hmm?
Do you... Do you really hear his voice?
His words have flowed through me like water, clear and cold.
And they have choked in my throat like sand.
They have rung in my head like a hammer. An anvil at the fiery forge.
And if his words have warmed my heart from time to time...
they have scorched my soul as well.
- Hmm. - But I tell you, of late,
there are no words.
What I hear is music.
His music.
Playing through what?
- A simple shepherd, yeah. - Yes.
Sometimes, Samuel, I...
I wish I could return to the safety of the hills.
No one knew my name.
And I often wish I was raised in a family and not at a tabernacle.
Yet history is not forged from the safety of hills.
To live a life of service,
of significance, is to pay a price.
An uncommon life bears uncommon cost.
You have been given a great and a difficult task.
And this task is given you for God's own reasons.
And so,
you will travel... ...the road north to Nob.
And you will ascend the mountain by the thousand westward steps,
so you will not be seen.
Yes.
You will hide among the priests,
and you will await the word of the Lord.
He will instruct you. This I promise.
David, do not forget.
The last time you passed through your greatest fears,
a giant fell at your feet.
Yes.
But this time I must face my own family.
- Mmm. - Saul was like a father to me.
He was a son to me.
You need not confront him.
I will do it.
- Samuel. - Mmm.
He will kill you.
He will try.
Why did you tell Father David threatened me?
Because we are all that remains.
Mychal, I told you men are mad.
Every last one of them.
The other night...
feels like another life.
I was happy just for a moment. And now...
David lied to me.
He's not who he says he is.
Like I said, they're mad.
But... But he's my husband.
And I love him. I...
- I know. I'm sorry. - I don't know what to do.
I don't know how I can.
- I don't know... - I'm sorry. I know.
I hate that chair.
The chair is only a reflection of the one who sits upon it.
No. It's poison.
It kills whoever sits upon it.
I know.
Priest of God.
These steps are sacred. Why do you climb them?
I come to offer a thousand of the best of the king's flock
for your sacrifices,
if you remove a curse from me.
Your God is tormenting me night and day.
I'm sorry. I cannot help you.
And you do not belong on this holy mountain.
David, why have you come?
Samuel sends me. And he sends his blessing.
You are alone?
I am on a secret and urgent mission from the king.
Hmm.
Uh, do you have any weapons here?
A sword, a bow?
I had to leave in haste.
Um, there is no sword here.
Except one. Come.
The sword of Goliath.
It is all that is here.
If it aids you, take it.
Thank you.
I needed to remember.
Remember what?
The greatness of God.
- Father. - Soldiers are here.
- What? What do they want? - Him.
The king has gone mad. Our loyalty is to you, David.
Rise.
How did you find me?
I tracked you. Like a wolf.
- Were you followed? - No. We rode hard.
Father, I just received word from Edom.
The king travels here himself to finalize the terms of his aid.
He is ready to make a new alliance.
My son is a diplomat after all. Very well.
I also have a plan to solidify loyalty among the tribes.
Especially Judah.
It involves my sisters.
My king.
I've seen something that may interest you.
David is hiding among the priests of Nob!
We will find him. We will bring him back.
And use only necessary force.
Do not allow the blood of holy men be on our heads.
We ride!
Halt.
Step aside, great one. You're blocking our path.
No.
It is you who obstruct the path of the one God has chosen.
Samuel, step aside.
What would you have me do?
You have so many words for my brother. Have you nothing for me?
What would you have me do?
- May I sit with you? - Please.
This is my father's ephod.
It has been in this holy place for ten generations.
The Urim and Thummim.
I see you need guidance.
Yes, I do.
What happened?
How did they die?
They've taken their own life. To escape the torment.
I know this torment very well.
Where is he? Where is Samuel?
He's guarding the road to Nob.
Summon the royal guard.
How many of them?
All of them!
Thank you, priests.
We will ride north to the caves of Adullam.
That is near Gath.
Yes.
Saul will not follow us there.
Be ready. We travel at dusk.
You cursed my men as you cursed me.
I cursed no one.
Step aside, Samuel. And I will let you live.
I cannot allow you to pass.
I have a thousand with me.
And I have but one.
Yet he is enough.
Do not make me strike you down.
Then do not try.
Your torment has not ended, Saul.
Instead, it has corrupted your very nature.
You lie.
I defeated my curse.
No, you have become your curse.
Protect the king!
God is not mocked!
Darkness has prevailed.
You have become what you have become.
And I will no longer mourn for you.
But you will prophesy for me.
No.
This will never be my destiny!
I control my future.
I control my fate.
You will tell me what you see, son of Kish.
Speak!
I see my crown.
Resting on the head of another.
Speak his name.
No.
You will speak his name!
Speak his name!
David!
Good!
What is it?
I'm not sure.
Let's go.
My king.
King Saul.
I'm Doeg.
- Where is Samuel? - Gone.
The tracks of blood lead east.
Should I find him?
Abner.
My king, where do we go from here?
Onward to Nob.
To end this.
Most of the men are not fit to travel.
My king. My men are fit to travel.
Good. Bring them.
Follow me.
What is happening?
Son, go. Get the ephod and leave.
It must be protected. I will handle this. Now go.
My king.
My friend. Why have you come?
Why have you betrayed me, priest?
Betrayed?
Ahimelech, listen now and speak the truth.
Why have you hidden the traitor from me?
So he can rise up against me?
Whom do you speak of?
The son of Jesse.
David?
Who among your servants is as faithful as he?
He has risen against me.
And you have aided him, have you not?
Speak the truth.
I gave him sacred bread. And the sword of Goliath.
It was all I had.
The sword of Goliath?
He will raise an army against me.
I-I knew nothing of this.
I tire of this struggle.
There is no struggle, my lord. We all serve you.
As does David.
Then let me ask you a question, son of Ahitub.
If the great one, Samuel, were to tell you another was anointed,
that God had chosen someone else...
whom would you serve?
I would serve God above man.
We all would.
Thank you for your honesty.
Kill them all.
Saul, these are servants of the Most High--
They betray me as David does.
Kill them all!
My king. My friend.
I will do anything for you, Saul.
But I will not do this.
Uh, I will do it.
I will do it gladly.
Burn everything!
Their God, their curses!
Everything! Kill them all!
What have you done?
What is necessary.
Samuel?
My love?
Samuel.
Hila.
Is it not beautiful?
God's creation.
But I feel...
something terrible has happened.
Rest, Samuel.
You have played your part in the grand design.
God knows.
I... have tried.
No.
You have fought well.
You have finished well.
Yes.
It is beautiful.
The giant slayer is in the mountains,
in the caves of Adullam.
He's being hunted.
By whom?
By Saul.
Saul?
My finest work.
- How many have you made? - A thousand by harvest.
Go find David and I will meet you back at my village.
I'll meet you there as soon as I can.
- I need to find him before my father does. - Be careful.
- Sara. - Don't worry. I will be safe.
No. I need you to understand.
There's a war coming. I know.
We will be safe.
Go.
We're being watched.
Cousin.
You are a hard man to find.
Are you here to fight me?
Eliab?
No, brother.
We are here to serve you.
Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge,
in the shadow of your wings I take refuge
until the storm passes by.
My king.
May I make an introduction?
At long last, the king of Edom.
You can kill me. But you'll never know your purpose.
I can teach you to be a king. Greater than your father.
Show me your purpose.
Show me your will for your kingdom.